Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You're only a stranger once.

July 31, 2007

The Mic Is On: We’re Looking for Photos and Art

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 7:00 pm

It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

The Mic Is On

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

There’s Many Sources . . .

Here’s a few ideas to get us started:

Library of Congress


Did you know that the Library of Congress is a photo and art source? Click the name below.

Library of Congress Online Catalog

And, whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey.

Oh, and bring links to favorite pictures to share!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?





Filed under Comments, Community, Links, Marketing, Outside the Box, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 238 Comments »




C'mon. Let's talk!

238 Comments to “The Mic Is On: We’re Looking for Photos and Art”

  1. July 31st, 2007 at 7:05 pm
    Dave said

    Here’s a good free one …
    http://www.sxc.hu/

  2. July 31st, 2007 at 7:06 pm
    Marti said

    Color me embarrassed – LOL

  3. July 31st, 2007 at 7:06 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Marti and Dave!
    Welcome to the impromtu gallery!

  4. July 31st, 2007 at 7:07 pm
    Maria Palma said

    Hi Liz and everyone! I’m excited! This is my first time at Open Mic – and what inspired me to participate is this subject of art which is near and dear to my heart!

    I just came back from Chicago last month and really enjoyed the Art Institute of Chicago. Here in San Diego we have many places for art lovers…

    I invite you to visit my blog!
    http://www.salondemaria.info/blog

  5. July 31st, 2007 at 7:07 pm
    Dave said

    Here’s one of my favorite photographers … mostly of Antelope Canyon (Wind Caves)
    http://www.danheller.com/antelope.html

  6. July 31st, 2007 at 7:07 pm
    Marti said

    How was BlogHer, Liz? I am “green” with envy (snicker)

  7. July 31st, 2007 at 7:08 pm
    Maria Palma said

    For art news I go to:

    http://www.artnewsblog.com/

  8. July 31st, 2007 at 7:08 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Dave,
    You’re quicker than most who start out in the wrong place. I was just writing you an email and you beat me to it. :)

  9. July 31st, 2007 at 7:08 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Hi everyone. I use stock.xchng too

  10. July 31st, 2007 at 7:09 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Maria!
    That’s one I didn’t know! This is going to make some cool list!

    My all time favorite: Stock Exchange
    http://www.sxc.hu/index.phtml

  11. July 31st, 2007 at 7:10 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Welcome Glenda!
    Stock Exchange is wonderful. I love the browse feature . . . Do you use it?

  12. July 31st, 2007 at 7:11 pm
    Dave said

    Ah Liz … I have found being quick keeps me out of bad situations!

  13. July 31st, 2007 at 7:11 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Marti!
    BlogHer was fun, especially seeing the folks who hang around here. I love the people.

  14. July 31st, 2007 at 7:12 pm
    Maria Palma said

    Liz, wow – what a treasure trove of photos! Thanks for sharing that one…I’m always looking for great photos for my blogs.

  15. July 31st, 2007 at 7:12 pm
    Joe said

    Hey Liz,
    Hey All,
    Silly me I just use Google Images (no need for a url, huh) :-)

  16. July 31st, 2007 at 7:12 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Dave,
    Sounds like you’re not just quick, but also quick on the uptake. Where did you get your business coach certification?

  17. July 31st, 2007 at 7:13 pm
    Dave said

    I got my business coach cert from CoachU … back when Thomas was still there.

  18. July 31st, 2007 at 7:14 pm
    Dave said

    Liz – I must admit that as I stumbled along getting my BLOG going over the past month, I found your site solidly in the top three MOST HELPFUL sites … and I deeply appreciate your energy and efforts … you have saved me years of bumbling!

  19. July 31st, 2007 at 7:15 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Liz, I use it for my blog pics. I usually find something. Tho, hard to find stock images with people with disabilities

  20. July 31st, 2007 at 7:15 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Joe!
    You’re silly, but not about images!

  21. July 31st, 2007 at 7:16 pm
    Maria Palma said

    Dave,

    I just visited your blog…Very inspiring info! Looks like we have quite a bit in common…

  22. July 31st, 2007 at 7:17 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Well, Dave,
    I’m glad my bumbling could unbumble someone . . . I’m guessing two things. You read blogs before you started blogging and you found this blog by Googling.

  23. July 31st, 2007 at 7:17 pm
    Maria Palma said

    Here’s one photo site I use:

    http://www.morguefile.com

  24. July 31st, 2007 at 7:17 pm
    Marti said

    Hello Maria – welcome! Hi Joe, Glenda, Dave,and of course our charming hostess, Liz

  25. July 31st, 2007 at 7:18 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Ah Maria!
    Morguefile is a great one. I’ve gotten some beautiful photos for my writing blog there.

  26. July 31st, 2007 at 7:18 pm
    Dave said

    Liz – actually, I didn’t read BLOGs before I started. I did read a lot of them for the two weeks I kinda got mine going (what a work in progress a BLOG is) … and I think I found yours by googling “BLOGGING 101″

  27. July 31st, 2007 at 7:19 pm
    Maria Palma said

    Hi Marti! Love the quote from your blog:

    “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.” – Jimmy Buffett

    Must laugh everyday…
    Must laugh everyday…
    Must laugh everyday…

  28. July 31st, 2007 at 7:20 pm
    Dave said

    Maria – Thank You, I appreciate your compliment. I would love to talk about our mutual interested anytime.

  29. July 31st, 2007 at 7:21 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Dave!
    I’m not sure wheather to count the two weeks, before your first post. What I was banking on is that I heard a guy who plans things. :)

  30. July 31st, 2007 at 7:21 pm
    Marti said

    Thanks Maria! I do believe it’s true! I should have staved off insanity for a bit this weekend, we went to see the Simpson’s movie – LOL

  31. July 31st, 2007 at 7:23 pm
    Joe said

    Again, silly me… I Googled The Bumble from Rudolph and got nothing but EBay listings for a FULL Page! :-(

  32. July 31st, 2007 at 7:23 pm
    Maria Palma said

    Dave – yes, let’s talk! I have a blog which centers around the whole idea of living passionately. I’m not a coach like you, but people have asked me why I don’t become one ;)

    Marti – I saw a preview of the movie last night. Looks very funny…

  33. July 31st, 2007 at 7:23 pm
    Becky McCray said

    Hi, all!

    I use some great small town and ag pics from USDA:
    http://w3.usda.gov/AgenciesandOffices/indexOCPhotoLibrary.html

    And if you like ancient architecture, these lost cities will blow you away:
    http://www.shunya.net/Pictures/Highlights/LostCities.htm

  34. July 31st, 2007 at 7:23 pm
    Marti said

    Here’s a link to a nice art museum

    Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
    Bringing together masterpieces from every culture and period of the world, from ancient times to the present day.
    http://www.nelson-atkins.org

  35. July 31st, 2007 at 7:24 pm
    Dave said

    Liz – hmmm, You are dead-on there. Not just a planner but an extreme over-analyzer (your blessing is your curse ya’ know!).

    The plan I had was to have something I would at least be “OK” with someone seeing before I let anyone see it *L*. And tomorrow was my official “I’d better have the damn thing done by …” date. So, I’m OK with it.

  36. July 31st, 2007 at 7:24 pm
    ME Strauss said

    This is a photographer’s blog.

    Free Photos — Quality Pictures for Private Projects
    http://www.free-photos.org/

  37. July 31st, 2007 at 7:25 pm
    Maria Palma said

    I’m wondering if anybody else here is an artist as well…I know that Liz is…”Artist” meaning you also paint, draw, or take photography…

  38. July 31st, 2007 at 7:26 pm
    Marti said

    If anyone ever needs nature photos mine are free for use to any of you.

    AT

    flicker.com/cyberpumpkin

  39. July 31st, 2007 at 7:26 pm
    Vernon Lun said

    Hi all,

    Liz always makes me bring the klondike bars. So here’s one for everyone.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bookgrl/526478392/

  40. July 31st, 2007 at 7:26 pm
    Dave said

    Maria – one of the saying that most coaches have is that “they were one before they ever knew what one was”. That was a lot more true ten years ago … when no one knew what one was *L* …

  41. July 31st, 2007 at 7:27 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Becky!
    The USDA!! What a great site. I overlook resources like that. I never think to go there. BUT don’t forget the Library of Congress link up in the post above. :)

  42. July 31st, 2007 at 7:28 pm
    Maria Palma said

    Since we’re on the subject of photos, you’re all welcome to use my photos:

    http://flickr.com/photos/salondemaria

  43. July 31st, 2007 at 7:28 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Vern!
    You are TOO COOL!!
    I’m so laughing!

  44. July 31st, 2007 at 7:29 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Dave, what iS involved in becoming certified?

  45. July 31st, 2007 at 7:29 pm
    John Richardson said

    Hi Liz,

    I use stock-exchange and their low cost partner stockexpert.com for web photos. If you sign up as a member with stockexpert you’ll get specials in the mail from time to time. I picked up a two-for-one deal last month.

    Another great site for inspiration is http://www.pbase.com with lots of really amazing photographers. If you like retro art, http://www.plan59.com has some of the best, although it is not for sale on the site.

    John

  46. July 31st, 2007 at 7:30 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Marti and Maria!
    Do you want your flickr links in the list I make from this? It could go to lots of people you don’t know.

  47. July 31st, 2007 at 7:31 pm
    Joe said

    Ok gang, we’re only averaging 1.46 comments a minute!
    Way off pace… Let’s pick it Up!!!
    :-)

  48. July 31st, 2007 at 7:31 pm
    Dave said

    Glenda – becoming certified is WAY too involved an answer for this forum. Email me and I’ll send you some links. There’s about six certs and they require completion of some accepted training and a mentor recommendation and so many hours of coaching for money experience … do dah do dah day *L* …

  49. July 31st, 2007 at 7:32 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Joe, are you the one with the Klondikes?

  50. July 31st, 2007 at 7:32 pm
    Maria Palma said

    Yikes! I’m hungry for a Klondike bar now…

  51. July 31st, 2007 at 7:33 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi John!
    How wonderful to see you!
    Stockexperts is a great deal and owning photos carries the pride of ownership. :)

  52. July 31st, 2007 at 7:33 pm
    Marti said

    It’s fine Liz. I used to sell these photos online but I didn’t make enough to keep the website up. But they are in my public flickr sets, so anyone who wants to use them is welcome to. You are sweet to ask though

  53. July 31st, 2007 at 7:33 pm
    Maria Palma said

    Liz,

    Sure..add my link! thanks ;)

  54. July 31st, 2007 at 7:33 pm
    Becky McCray said

    Hey, is this another chance to brag about my Africa photos?
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bjmccray/sets/72157594240084711/detail/

    Yes, Liz, they are open to be shared. :)

  55. July 31st, 2007 at 7:35 pm
    Marti said

    Sorry, Joe, I was eating – LOL Will focus on typing

  56. July 31st, 2007 at 7:35 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Becky,
    I arranged this whole night as a chance for you to show your Africa pix again!

    :)

  57. July 31st, 2007 at 7:35 pm
    Joe said

    Ok, if anyone missed them, HERE!
    Klondikes all around!
    I’ll leave some in the sidebar if you want more. ;-)

  58. July 31st, 2007 at 7:35 pm
    Becky McCray said

    See, Liz, that is why I love you.

  59. July 31st, 2007 at 7:35 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Thanks Dave, I’ll add to the “backburner” pile. Too much on my plate right now, but having that skillset may be helpful at times.

  60. July 31st, 2007 at 7:37 pm
    Maria Palma said

    Marti -

    Those billboard signs are HILARIOUS!!!

  61. July 31st, 2007 at 7:37 pm
    Vernon Lun said

    Becky, awesome pictures. I spent most of my life in South Africa. Your pictures brings back memories.

  62. July 31st, 2007 at 7:39 pm
    Marti said

    Thanks again, Maria! (psssssst Liz – I like this girl – lol)

  63. July 31st, 2007 at 7:39 pm
    Becky McCray said

    Thanks, Vernon. I love your post on “Does your blog sing?”

  64. July 31st, 2007 at 7:40 pm
    Marti said

    Hi Becky, didn’t see you come in And hello to anyone else I missed, so sorry, rough day

  65. July 31st, 2007 at 7:41 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Aw Becky,
    And here I thought it was the great snacks I have in the sidebar.

  66. July 31st, 2007 at 7:42 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    wow Becky, awesome pics! when were you there?

  67. July 31st, 2007 at 7:43 pm
    Marti said

    Mmmm, Klondikes,,, make bad things fade away…mmmmm

  68. July 31st, 2007 at 7:44 pm
    Vernon Lun said

    Thanks Becky, your blog definitely sings!

  69. July 31st, 2007 at 7:45 pm
    Becky McCray said

    My husband and I were hunting in Namibia in 2003, 2005 and 2006. We’re going back in 2008.

    OK, he was hunting, I was busy photo’ing!

  70. July 31st, 2007 at 7:45 pm
    Maria Palma said

    This is one of my favorite artist blogs:
    http://anahata.typepad.com/my_weblog/

    Her designs are vibrant and oh, so colorful! Every time I visit her site I am filled with inspiration…

  71. July 31st, 2007 at 7:45 pm
    Vernon Lun said

    Happy Birthday Marti!

  72. July 31st, 2007 at 7:47 pm
    Maria Palma said

    Marti,

    Here’s a pic for you…
    http://www.salondemaria.info/Happy-Birthday.gif

  73. July 31st, 2007 at 7:47 pm
    Becky McCray said

    Thank you, Vernon!
    Thanks, Glenda! Glad you like my pics.

    And Hi, Marti!

  74. July 31st, 2007 at 7:47 pm
    Marti said

    Oh, aren’t you sweet, Vernon!

    Thank you!

  75. July 31st, 2007 at 7:47 pm
    Vernon Lun said

    Here’s one of my favorites. She went to Sobcon too!

    http://www.ashleycecil.com/

    My favorite is actually an unfinished work

    http://www.ashleycecil.com/2007/07/16/painting-in-progress-71607/

  76. July 31st, 2007 at 7:48 pm
    Char said

    Easton posted a list of 10 places to get images for your blog.

    Some of them have already been mentioned.

    My personal favorite is iStockPhoto

  77. July 31st, 2007 at 7:48 pm
    Becky McCray said

    Marti, are you celebrating a birthday? I should have been wearing your pic as my Twitter avatar today!

  78. July 31st, 2007 at 7:49 pm
    Marti said

    Movie guy voiceover, “Little do the well-wishers know that she is a an evil, evil woman who took the life of an innocent woodland creature”

  79. July 31st, 2007 at 7:50 pm
    John Richardson said

    If you are looking for photos with emotion, check out this site… http://www.pbase.com/dievee/root

    Almost every photo tells a story

  80. July 31st, 2007 at 7:51 pm
    Marti said

    Awww, thank you again, maria!

    Becky, my birthday was on Sunday, the day before I turned into a murderer

  81. July 31st, 2007 at 7:51 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Hi Char!

  82. July 31st, 2007 at 7:52 pm
    Maria Palma said

    Bye, everyone! All that Klondike talk made me hungry…(off to cook dinner…)

  83. July 31st, 2007 at 7:53 pm
    Char said

    Hi everyone – sorry I posted without saying hello first.

  84. July 31st, 2007 at 7:53 pm
    Rick Cockrum said

    Hi everyone! Happy Birthday, Marti! Since you call him your husband now, we can’t hold taking the life of an innocent woodland creature against you. :)

  85. July 31st, 2007 at 7:53 pm
    Marti said

    Hi Char! The little kitty wishing happy birthday was adorable. Quick, put it in a safe place before I kill again – LOL

  86. July 31st, 2007 at 7:54 pm
    Marti said

    Bye Maria! Lovely meeting you, please come back!

  87. July 31st, 2007 at 7:55 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Happy Birthday, Marti!
    So sorry about your ACCIDENT!!!

  88. July 31st, 2007 at 7:55 pm
    Rick Cockrum said

    Whoops. I got that wrong. I thought took care of the woodland creature long ago.

  89. July 31st, 2007 at 7:55 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Char!
    Hi Rick!

  90. July 31st, 2007 at 7:56 pm
    Joe said

    *lurk*…*lurk*…*lurk*
    (trying to evade Marti) *scampers away around the tree*…*up the tree*…
    BLAM!
    Oh, she got me**-((

  91. July 31st, 2007 at 7:56 pm
    Marti said

    Hi Rick! I hit and killed a deer yesterday with husband’s car, and am still weighed down with guilt (and all of the paperwork from the CarStar repair center and Enterprise rental)

  92. July 31st, 2007 at 7:57 pm
    Marti said

    Run Joe run!!!!

  93. July 31st, 2007 at 7:58 pm
    Marti said

    Hey Liz, Susan Reynolds just twittered me that for some reason she can’t get her comments to “take” here. She keeps trying but it refuses to accept them.

  94. July 31st, 2007 at 7:59 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Hello all! Back from the birthday dinner with darlin granddaughter & ready to talk it up.

  95. July 31st, 2007 at 8:00 pm
    Rick Cockrum said

    Marti – I’m positive you saw it coming and timed your speed to hit it.

    Sorry about the deer. It’s good karma you’re not hurt.

  96. July 31st, 2007 at 8:00 pm
    Marti said

    Maybe I am in her chair….I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night, so I will sign out for a bit and perhaps she can get in.

    Love you all bunches!

  97. July 31st, 2007 at 8:01 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    whooooo Hey all you familiar faces. I’m supposed to bring – um – art

  98. July 31st, 2007 at 8:02 pm
    Joe said

    Good, Gooooddd…
    We’re up to 1.6 comments a minute.
    Way to go guys!
    :-)

  99. July 31st, 2007 at 8:02 pm
    Char said

    Marti – glad you liked it & hope you are feeling a whole year wiser.

  100. July 31st, 2007 at 8:03 pm
    Marti said

    Oh she made it – yippee!

  101. July 31st, 2007 at 8:04 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Speaking about blogs singing, would y’all mind voting at http://www.blogforayear.com/profiles/glenda-watson-hyatt so that I may make mine sing for a year. Thanks!

  102. July 31st, 2007 at 8:05 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    big grin :^)
    like here maybe???
    http://www.cafepress.com/artgiftgallery

  103. July 31st, 2007 at 8:05 pm
    Marti said

    LOL Rick!

  104. July 31st, 2007 at 8:05 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Susan!
    Like Marti, I’m so glad you’re here! I just wouldn’t be right without you. You are the Successful-Blog Artist-in-Residence

  105. July 31st, 2007 at 8:06 pm
    Rick Cockrum said

    Hi Susan! How is the Artsy Asylum?

  106. July 31st, 2007 at 8:07 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    awww, Liz.. . graciously tilts head and smiles

  107. July 31st, 2007 at 8:08 pm
    Marti said

    Thank you for the lovely birthday wishes! Wiser…uh…dunno. Older, yeah – LOL

  108. July 31st, 2007 at 8:09 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Hi Rick – Welll let me just tell you we are all certifiable at the asylum. But still artsy. How goes it with you? Nice to see you.

  109. July 31st, 2007 at 8:10 pm
    Marti said

    All of the art links offered here this evening are fabulous! Thank you for sharing!

  110. July 31st, 2007 at 8:10 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Marti I’m glad you didnt have to give up your chair. I felt like you needed it after yesterday.

  111. July 31st, 2007 at 8:11 pm
    Mike said

    Hi Glenda!

    Mike

  112. July 31st, 2007 at 8:11 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Glenda how has your week been? Getting out the vote I hope :)

  113. July 31st, 2007 at 8:12 pm
    Rick Cockrum said

    And here I thought asylums were to keep the sane people safe from the normal people.

    I’m doing well. At leas AARP doesn’t keep sending me mail the way they do my wife. ;)

  114. July 31st, 2007 at 8:12 pm
    Marti said

    I so envy people who can draw or paint

  115. July 31st, 2007 at 8:13 pm
    Marti said

    I am so grateful that there ARE people who have artistic talent, they make our world a more beautiful place

  116. July 31st, 2007 at 8:14 pm
    Char said

    All – I will be back to check on everyone in a while – my brain needs a break…

  117. July 31st, 2007 at 8:14 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Oh heck Marti, I can teach ou to draw. It’s not so much talent as it is observation. Maybe I’ll do a video now that it’s supposedly soooo easy – *rolls eyes as if*

  118. July 31st, 2007 at 8:15 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Rick I’m sure your wife appreciates your commentary on that :)

  119. July 31st, 2007 at 8:16 pm
    Marti said

    I used to watch that Joy of Painting guy on PBS. He amazed me “and now we just put a stroke here, and there’s our little pine tree” LOL

  120. July 31st, 2007 at 8:17 pm
    Marti said

    But I appreciate your generous offer!

  121. July 31st, 2007 at 8:17 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    See it’s your brain that makes it into a little pine tree Marti. The artist just needs to know how to suggest that to you.

  122. July 31st, 2007 at 8:18 pm
    Mike said

    Marti,

    That Joy of Painting guy was a hoot! (alcohol may have been a factor in that judgment)

    Mike

  123. July 31st, 2007 at 8:18 pm
    Marti said

    Oh Rick, I hope you have a comfy couch – LOL

  124. July 31st, 2007 at 8:21 pm
    Marti said

    So it’s the Joy of Painting Meets The Secret? (sounds like a sci-fi movie – LOL)

  125. July 31st, 2007 at 8:22 pm
    Rick Cockrum said

    She gets me back with the cane I use occasionally, Susan. :)

    A friend of ours, Renee Biertempfel, is a fantasy artist. We have one of her pen and ink drawings hanging over the entrance to the theatre auditorium.

    My children’s drawing skills surpassed mine by the time they reached the age of two.

  126. July 31st, 2007 at 8:22 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    ahh Mike, good to see you! Now I’m not the only left coaster here.

    Susan, votes are gradually accummulating. Need to find some other strategies to get the word out. I’m looking forward to Readers’ Cafe tomorrow. The first one was a blast!

  127. July 31st, 2007 at 8:26 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Rick, LOL. That’s because nobody told them they can’t draw. Did you notice that people stop really drawing between the ages of 6 & 8 a lot of times. They decide what they’re seeing they can’t really convey.

    OK, that’s too cerebral. let’s start tossing fod again. Where’s Chris Cree when we need him?

  128. July 31st, 2007 at 8:26 pm
    Marti said

    I am in awe of all of the talent here

  129. July 31st, 2007 at 8:29 pm
    Marti said

    Cerebral? That’s a shade of blue, right? (snicker)

  130. July 31st, 2007 at 8:31 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Marti,
    I thought it was a shade of hot pink. :)

  131. July 31st, 2007 at 8:32 pm
    Marti said

    Maybe it’s both!

    :)

  132. July 31st, 2007 at 8:32 pm
    Marti said

    We just have to use our “Secret” thinking to make it so!

    LOL

  133. July 31st, 2007 at 8:35 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Liz, how do you come up with themes for these nights?

  134. July 31st, 2007 at 8:35 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Wow! Marti!
    I forgot that we’re so powerful!

  135. July 31st, 2007 at 8:36 pm
    Marti said

    (Hoping there aren’t any strong believers in The Secret who were offended by my off-hand remark – I’m just stretching for a joke…r-e-a-;-l-y stretching)

  136. July 31st, 2007 at 8:37 pm
    ME Strauss said

    This one
    PicturesFree.org is 100,000+ Totally Free photos It’s also a bit messy.

    http://www.free-photos.org/

  137. July 31st, 2007 at 8:37 pm
    Marti said

    Oh, gold star for Glenda! Great question!

  138. July 31st, 2007 at 8:39 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Oh Glenda!
    I wish I had help.
    I sit around and think. The concept has to be something that people can conceive of talking about for 4 hours.

  139. July 31st, 2007 at 8:43 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Liz, so it’s not a bolt of inspiration? I’m not sure what topic to set for tomorrow’s Readers’ Cafe, not that we were any where near the topic on opening night!

  140. July 31st, 2007 at 8:43 pm
    Marti said

    Fun fantasies like wild west and pirates have been popular. And the ones about movies….

  141. July 31st, 2007 at 8:44 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Oh dear,
    Oh bother,
    I’m in a tizzy.
    I’ve been locked out of twitter.
    I cleaned my cookies and lost my password.

    Try to find an easy way to get your password back. . . . Twitter that!!

  142. July 31st, 2007 at 8:44 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Glenda did I ask you if you use twitter? I’m sorry – my brain is fried after my day yesterday.
    But twitter is seriously driving my blog readership & I would think it could promote your voting as well.

  143. July 31st, 2007 at 8:47 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Susan, you really think I should drink the cool-aid? Lol

  144. July 31st, 2007 at 8:47 pm
    Marti said

    Yes, twitter is tremendous fun! It’s like a big group instant message

  145. July 31st, 2007 at 8:48 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    not another distractor, time-waster???

  146. July 31st, 2007 at 8:49 pm
    Vernon Lun said

    Liz will tell you kids stop drawing after 6-8 because we took away the crayons. :)

  147. July 31st, 2007 at 8:49 pm
    Marti said

    Oh Liz! They don’t have any kind of “recover password” thingy? Like a hint or “Mail me my password”? We HAVE to get you back!

  148. July 31st, 2007 at 8:50 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Glenda!
    Bolt of inspiration! That’s what made me start having themes . . . I’m kind of sorry about that one. We didn’t when we started and we still managed to have plenty to talk about then.

    Every week comes very quickly and ideas for themes seem a lot alike. :)

  149. July 31st, 2007 at 8:51 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    All I can tell you is that today Robert Scoble admitted that he looks at twitter to find out what’s going on it the world. I’m a believer only after my experience.

  150. July 31st, 2007 at 8:51 pm
    Marti said

    No Glenda, it takes very little time because the messages are so short – LOL

    And you can pop in, participate for a while and pop out, then pop back in later. It’s great!

  151. July 31st, 2007 at 8:52 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    liz I think there’s a change password option if you know which email account you used that is . .

  152. July 31st, 2007 at 8:53 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    you’re twisting my arm, Susan. Perhaps.

  153. July 31st, 2007 at 8:55 pm
    Becky McCray said

    Twitter is only a time waster when you treat it that way. You can be anywhere in between the two extremes: Marti and Susan who never, ever take a break (kidding!) all the way to Roger von Oech who only ever tweets to announce an article he’s written, without building any personal connection.

  154. July 31st, 2007 at 8:56 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Glenda, only “follow” people you are interested in. And a 140 character limit builds – um – character :)

  155. July 31st, 2007 at 8:56 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    it just scares me because I get addicted to checking stuff and end up wasting so much time for which I beat myself up

  156. July 31st, 2007 at 8:56 pm
    Marti said

    Glenda, asking people to discuss their “favorite” something will always be popular, because everyone has a favorite “something” they like to talk about

  157. July 31st, 2007 at 8:57 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Susan,
    It’s not changing the password that was the problem. I couldn’t do that without knowing the old “assigned” password either. Now I’m locked out completely. :)

  158. July 31st, 2007 at 8:57 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Hey Becky – I went to dinner & didn’t tweet a word :)

  159. July 31st, 2007 at 8:59 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Crap Liz, it may take a call to twitter central. I’ll bet they’ll help you.

  160. July 31st, 2007 at 8:59 pm
    Becky McCray said

    Liz, maybe shoot an email to Chris Brogan. I think he knows the guys at Twitter. He might have an address for you to get some service!

  161. July 31st, 2007 at 9:00 pm
    Becky McCray said

    Glenda, if you tend to spend too much time checking back in, you may do the same with Twitter. And you may also be able to manage that by just setting some limits for yourself.

  162. July 31st, 2007 at 9:01 pm
    David Leggett said

    My favorite place to see photos is definitely Flickr (http://www.flickr.com). Even since it’s been bought out by Yahoo, they have stayed very true to their creators values (they still handle everything on the site). The format, presentation, and syndication of photos is both elegant, and addicting.

    As a photographer myself, I can also use flickr to share photos with friends, or get tips from those who are far better and more experienced than I am.

    I have quite a few photography/art friends from around town. One of them runs a wordpress blog at http://cptcrayon.wordpress.com/. Every now and then he shares some stuff on it, and you can see his recent uploads to flickr from there.

    I too run a photoblog, and a wallpapers site, but I don’t want to shamelessly plug myself here. If you are interested, you can find them at my site.

    Also, I love Strobist blog =) Great resource for beginning-expert photographers:
    http://strobist.blogspot.com/

  163. July 31st, 2007 at 9:02 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    Greetings all! Looks like interesting banter.

  164. July 31st, 2007 at 9:02 pm
    Marti said

    Yes, Twitter works best when you treat it like a party. You visit with all the people in the room – if they say they just got a raise you say congratulations. If you say something polite to someone two or three times and they don’t respond back, you just move to another nook in the room. Twitter is a BIG room, there are lots of nooks full of pleasant and entertaining people. Nobody like the guest who always goes on about “me, me. me” without ever interacting with the others.

  165. July 31st, 2007 at 9:03 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Marti, the topic just hit me as I emailed someone else – I’m trying to get her talking – “What are your dreams for your future?” Would that work?

  166. July 31st, 2007 at 9:05 pm
    Marti said

    Liz, maybe you could just start over as “ME_Strauss”

    (Although I know that is an unpleasant option)

    Reading back comments – yes Chris Brogan might be able to help!

  167. July 31st, 2007 at 9:05 pm
    Becky McCray said

    Howdy, David and Timothy!

  168. July 31st, 2007 at 9:05 pm
    GP said

    Takin it ez at the inn http://www.ez2find.com/

    who will have a klondike right after cheeseburger in paradise:)

    gp in montana

  169. July 31st, 2007 at 9:05 pm
    Marti said

    Hello to those who recently joined us here – welcome!

  170. July 31st, 2007 at 9:06 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Hi Timothy. Hello David.

  171. July 31st, 2007 at 9:07 pm
    Marti said

    Glenda, that is an excellent topic! Bravo!

  172. July 31st, 2007 at 9:08 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    Looks like the topic has shifted from pictures to Twitter.

  173. July 31st, 2007 at 9:09 pm
    Joe said

    Glenda,
    You may also want to consider Facebook.
    You can start your own “group” and invite anyone you wish to join in. And they can also invite others to join as well. (with your approval) And so on and so on…
    I just joined the other day and it looks like a definite advantage for building something similar to your community situation needs. ;-)

  174. July 31st, 2007 at 9:10 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Tim! Hey David! Hey GP!

    Hey Becky! Does this qualify as a Twittergency?

  175. July 31st, 2007 at 9:12 pm
    Marti said

    Sorry, wasn’t trying to twitter-jack the conversation
    :)

  176. July 31st, 2007 at 9:12 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    Hey gang… mind if a I ask a techie question not related to Twitter or pictures? It’s more of a Microsoft quirk that has me stumped.

  177. July 31st, 2007 at 9:12 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Marti, Susan, done – https://twitter.com/GlendaWH – now what??

    Joe [and others] come join me at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2378349797&pwstdfy=bfe5ed1f011b547af0a9a827e3d28d31

  178. July 31st, 2007 at 9:13 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    A couple of people put me onto the idea of using facebook instead of a lot of pointless email. And to tell you the truth, it works pretty well for just keeping in touch casually.

  179. July 31st, 2007 at 9:13 pm
    Rick Cockrum said

    Hi David, Timothy.

    It’s time to bid thee all farewell. Have a great night!

    Thank you, Liz. Take care.

  180. July 31st, 2007 at 9:14 pm
    Becky McCray said

    Goodnight, Rick.

    Go ahead with your question, Timothy. We don’t ever stick to the topic anyway. :)

  181. July 31st, 2007 at 9:16 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Excellent Glenda. I’ve clicked on your page and now am “following” you. I will not be offended if you do not follow me because I am chatty. But I’m at http://twitter.com/susanreynolds.

    Definitely follow http://twitter.com/chrisbrogan
    and http://twitter.com/beckymccray

  182. July 31st, 2007 at 9:16 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    nite Rick. See you tomorrow?

  183. July 31st, 2007 at 9:16 pm
    Marti said

    Goodnight Rick!

    Best wishes to you with Twitter, Glenda. Susan is a super-pro and much better mentor than I.

    I didn’t sleep any last night. Thank you all for a lovely evening here. Best wishes to everyone in their endeavors!

  184. July 31st, 2007 at 9:16 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    I have the entire MS Office suite, but in Powerpoint only, the “last four files” in the recent files section keep defaulting back to four files I’d opened in January. Is there a way to reset this so it will actually open the last four files I worked with? I do not have this problem with any other MS product: Word, Excel, Access, Visio, or Project.

  185. July 31st, 2007 at 9:17 pm
    Rick Cockrum said

    I should be dropping in, Glenda.

  186. July 31st, 2007 at 9:18 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    If there are any Microsoft geeks (I use the term affectionately, of course) out there who can solve this, I would be very grateful

  187. July 31st, 2007 at 9:18 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    And I personally like twitbin as a way to feed my twitters to me. There’s a how to at http://tinyurl.com/3deewe

  188. July 31st, 2007 at 9:20 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Now, I’ll pass the conversation back to our hostess and stop monopolizing the floor.

  189. July 31st, 2007 at 9:22 pm
    ME Strauss said

    The floor likes you, Susan

  190. July 31st, 2007 at 9:25 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Boy I wish I was anything close to a Microsoft geek.

  191. July 31st, 2007 at 9:25 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Tim,
    I have a weirdness that’s been going with my files listing in the wrong order in some MS file lists when I go to Open Files. No one can figure it out.

    In your case, do you use a registry cleaner?

  192. July 31st, 2007 at 9:27 pm
    Marti said

    Sweet dreams everyone!

  193. July 31st, 2007 at 9:27 pm
    Becky McCray said

    I don’t know the answer to your Microsoft question, Timothy, but you might Ask Dave Taylor at http://www.askdavetaylor.com!

  194. July 31st, 2007 at 9:27 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Timothy, geeky hubby says try Options > General and set it to zero, and then go in again to set the number you want

  195. July 31st, 2007 at 9:29 pm
    Becky McCray said

    Goodnight, Marti!

  196. July 31st, 2007 at 9:30 pm
    Joe said

    Hey Tim,
    This may sound like a stupid question, but did you set the default as “most recent” or “current” files instead of using their default?

  197. July 31st, 2007 at 9:32 pm
    Becky McCray said

    Well, I’m all in for tonight.

    Here’s a last photo related link:
    5 steps to being more photogenic
    http://www.digitalcameratracker.com/5-steps-to-being-more-photogenic/

  198. July 31st, 2007 at 9:34 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    Thanks for that one Becky. I’ll take all the help I can get.

  199. July 31st, 2007 at 9:35 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    Glenda – tried your suggestion… tell hubby thanks but no dice.

    Joe and Liz – can you elaborate on your suggestions?

  200. July 31st, 2007 at 9:38 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    @joe – darn!

  201. July 31st, 2007 at 9:39 pm
    Joe said

    Tim,
    The best example I can give you is with Outlook Express, view, accending(decending) will give you most recent files or oldest files first.
    There should be an option for you to change how the files are presented to you.

  202. July 31st, 2007 at 9:40 pm
    Susan Reynolds said

    I’m off to explore Becky’s article link & maybe add something to the blog. Nice seeing you all, and wonderful of you to have us, Liz.

  203. July 31st, 2007 at 9:40 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Twitterees, where can I find a quick overview about what I’m suppose to do with this thing now?

  204. July 31st, 2007 at 9:43 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Good night to everyone who is leaving!

  205. July 31st, 2007 at 9:43 pm
    Elizabeth Perry said

    Hi, Liz! Hi, everyone! (I met Liz this past weekend at BlogHer when I had the treat of serving on a panel with her.)

    What a great subject for an open mic.

    Flickr, as everyone has said, is a great resource for photos – many have Creative Commons licenses which allow re-use.

    Another cool source is the Internet Archive (archive.org) which has a giant collection of public domain film, video, audio.

    One of my favorite museum sites is the one for the Rijksmuseum: I haven’t (yet) been to that museum in person, but online, you can really explore the collection – with some nice high-res enlargements, and for those of us who are Mac users, there’s a desktop widget you can download which shows you a new painting every day…
    http://rijksmuseum.nl/index.jsp

    My own work is licensed under Creative Commons, as well (free for non-commercial use, with attribution). I’ve been making a drawing or painting every day in a small sketchbook for about two-and-a-half years and post each of them to my blog. Never drew before that, but people said that the way to learn to draw was to draw every day – and that works. I encourage anyone who wants to start, to start tonight!

  206. July 31st, 2007 at 9:45 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Tim,
    I was talking about a small program, like RegMechanic, which rewrites and repairs broken strings in your registry when you move or change things on your computer.

  207. July 31st, 2007 at 9:47 pm
    Elizabeth Perry said

    Oh, and I forgot another giant collection of images online: the New York Public Library has thousands of historical images available:

    http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm

  208. July 31st, 2007 at 9:48 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    Liz – how does one get a hold of RegMechanic?

  209. July 31st, 2007 at 9:50 pm
    ME Strauss said

    When we bought a new computer and needed to get it again. I just Googled it. I think it’s under $30. I use adaware and RegMechanic every day.

  210. July 31st, 2007 at 9:51 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    cool… I’ll look it up.

  211. July 31st, 2007 at 9:53 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    Getting back to the topic of photography, outside of Flickr and Google Images, I’m finding my best bet on a lot of things is to just grab my digital camera and start shooting. I try to take it everywhere I go. For example: http://carpefactum.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/07/dominate.html

  212. July 31st, 2007 at 9:54 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Elizabeth!
    How wonderful to see you and your “beautiful mind”!! I was reading your beautiful mind just a few hours ago. Your sketches at BlogHer are so lovely. I especially like the study of Christine Kane.

    Thank you for bringing so many resources to this party. What fun you are to join in.

    Glenda, I hope you’re still here.

  213. July 31st, 2007 at 9:55 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Why, Timothy!
    I had no idea you were talented with a camera TOO!!

  214. July 31st, 2007 at 9:57 pm
    Glenda Watson Hyatt said

    Liz et al, thanks for another great conversation. Think I’ll call it a night [for now]. I need supper and to do bookkeeping tonight. Hope you can join me for Readers’ Cafe at http://www.doitmyselfblog.com on Wednesday, 7-10pm edt.

    Ciao!

  215. July 31st, 2007 at 9:57 pm
    ME Strauss said

    I also particularly like the

    Astronomy Picture of the Day

    http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

  216. July 31st, 2007 at 9:58 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    I’m not really that talented with a camera, Liz. I try to get cameras that have very advanced auto features to compensate for my shortcomings.

    But I do enjoy photography immensely when I can do it.

  217. July 31st, 2007 at 10:01 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Tim,
    That sounds like fun. I bet you have a great time and get some fine pictures too!

  218. July 31st, 2007 at 10:03 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    Well, on that particular post, I had a blast. It was a pure adrenaline rush to spend the day with three different SWAT teams at once and watch them go through their drills. (Ask me sometime off-line about being allowed to be a role player in one of the scenarios.)

  219. July 31st, 2007 at 10:05 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Yeah, I remember reading that post. I sure did sound like a blast!

  220. July 31st, 2007 at 10:07 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    Literally a blast… try having a flash-bang device go off in the next room when you forgot to put in your earplugs.

  221. July 31st, 2007 at 10:09 pm
    Joe said

    Another Tuesday has come and gone
    and we found ways to find art
    in pictures and in song

    Whether we use Google, or Flickr
    or a camera of our own
    The art is what counts…

    Sorry, can’t think of anything that rhymes with Flickr.

    Berma Shave

    Nite Liz
    Nite All

  222. July 31st, 2007 at 10:10 pm
    ME Strauss said

    I’ll bet you remembered your earplugs soon enough. [big grin] :D

  223. July 31st, 2007 at 10:12 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    You bet I did.

    Joe: quicker, thicker, slicker

  224. July 31st, 2007 at 10:14 pm
    ME Strauss said

    God Night , Joe
    Sleepy swell.

  225. July 31st, 2007 at 10:15 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Tim,
    I’m going to have to pack it in too. I’m still recovering from BlogHer. :)

  226. July 31st, 2007 at 10:15 pm
    Timothy Johnson said

    Well, Liz, I suppose I should pack it in as well. There’s a lot going on tomorrow and I’ll need all of my brain power to handle it.

    G’night all… thanks for the MS tips!

  227. July 31st, 2007 at 10:16 pm
    Joe said

    Yeah Tim, but where’s the joke then? ;-)

  228. July 31st, 2007 at 10:18 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Joe!
    I just tucked you in. :)

  229. July 31st, 2007 at 10:28 pm
    Elizabeth said

    Thanks everyone.

    Think I’d better say g’night as well, since for some reason this thread keeps crashing Firefox.

    See you online next time… :-)

  230. July 31st, 2007 at 10:30 pm
    Jody DeVere said

    Racing for a cause at Irwindale Speedway with my freinds from UnitedSpainl.org

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=610489&id=526180649&pwstdfy=a382856e27f9e046afc25333f705687f

  231. August 1st, 2007 at 12:20 am
    Mike said

    Anybody still here?

  232. August 1st, 2007 at 12:21 am
    Mike said

    110 minutes since the last comment. I’m guessing no.

  233. August 1st, 2007 at 4:39 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Elizabeth,
    I’m sorry to hear that was happening. I was having a problem with some serious “crashing” in my head. So, I needed to sign off myself. Gosh it was great that you came by.
    Liz

  234. August 1st, 2007 at 4:41 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Jody!
    Thanks for coming! Sorry that we closed the party early. I would have enjoyed a conversation with you again. :)

  235. August 1st, 2007 at 4:43 am
    ME Strauss said

    Aw Mike,
    I don’t always stay up talking until the wee hours of the morning. . . . only most nights. :)

  236. August 1st, 2007 at 11:38 am
    Sandy said

    Hi Liz,

    Sorry I missed the (p)art(y). I’m going to read through the comments to see what kind of fun you had.

    My favorite sites are http://www.sxc.hu/, Flickr, and iStock. And there are so many more out there to choose from.

    Great topic. Let’s do more about graphics!
    Sandy

  237. August 1st, 2007 at 11:41 am
    Sandy said

    Oh yeah,

    I brought a link to share. My chapter in Age of Conversation is all about graphics. So for a good read for a great cause, purchase the e- or print versions at http://stores.lulu.com/ageofconversation.

    Sandy

  238. May 13th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
    SntKq said

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